Time flew by, and more than half a month had passed.
Autumn had arrived unnoticed, and yellowed, fallen leaves carpeted the streets and fields.
The small county town remained as peaceful and tranquil as ever, its inhabitants' lives flowing at an unchanged rhythm.
Yet, as a folk saying goes, it's only when the hail falls on your roof that you truly feel its sting.
Over this past fortnight, a certain person named Qin had shed a considerable amount of weight, his eye sockets appearing sunken.
This was because, during this period, both of his beloved ladies had seemingly vanished into thin air, with no trace of either to be found.
Qin Chuan had deliberately waited at the Butterfly Garment Factory, convinced that Li Ya would not abandon it. To his surprise, Li Ya never showed up even once.
One day, Qin Chuan received a call from Fang Rumei, asking him to come to Longcheng. The factory was ready, all the collaborators had been contacted, and it was time to officially commence production.
Qin Chuan had no choice but to rush to Longcheng.
Women were important, but his career was equally so. He couldn't continue to wallow in despair forever.
More importantly, there was another lady he cared about in Longcheng – Teacher Yang Zi Mo.
Upon arriving in Longcheng, after a brief period of handling some matters...
She sternly warned Qin Chuan, "Mr. Qin, if you keep bothering me, I'll call the police!"
Qin Chuan, disbelieving, persisted for a while longer. To his surprise, An Nuo actually dialed 110.
"Hello, I want to report a crime. There's someone acting like a hooligan here..."
Startled, Qin Chuan quickly retreated, clasping his hands in a gesture of surrender.
Seeing this, An Nuo added, "Sorry, officers, you don't need to come. That guy has been scared away!"
Qin Chuan glared at An Nuo in annoyance, gritting his teeth, "Fine, you win!"
"You scumbag, you're not qualified to judge me!"
"Go back to where you came from!"
"Aren't you good at playing the field? There are plenty of beautiful women in this world. I'd love to see how many boats you can straddle."
With that, An Nuo stormed upstairs in anger, leaving Qin Chuan standing alone, lost in a daze.
He had a strong premonition that Teacher Yang was hiding at An Nuo's place, but if she refused to see him, there was truly nothing he could do.
Troubled, Qin Chuan had to dejectedly return to the factory first, as the MP3 project was officially going into production within these few days.
There were many tasks awaiting his attention; Fang Rumei alone could not handle it all.
As the most crucial project in his hands at present, Qin Chuan had invested a significant amount of energy and capital and absolutely could not afford any delays due to other matters.
The factory's opening date was set for three days later. At that time, Fang Rumei would invite many friends from the business and political circles to grace the occasion and celebrate.
Hearing this, Qin Chuan's heart stirred. This might be an opportunity.
However, many people from the Kunlun Laboratory in the capital would also be attending. This was ostensibly a normal occurrence, but Alisa's presence was causing Qin Chuan a headache.
She also intended to come, and her interest was piqued. In Alisa's own words, since arriving in China, she had only stayed in the capital and had not visited any other places.
As one of the key R&D personnel, she felt it imperative to attend such a significant event as the opening of the MP3 factory.
For some unknown reason, Alisa had not been affected by the recent Shura Field incident, perhaps due to an oversight in the investigation.
Qin Chuan was greatly troubled. He had initially hoped that by leveraging the opening event, he could have Fang Rumei invite all her close friends, particularly hoping Teacher Yang would attend.
Unexpectedly, Alisa would also be present. If any further untoward incidents were to occur then, he might as well forget about winning Teacher Yang's heart for the rest of his life.
Qin Chuan repeatedly and emphatically instructed Alisa, using a mixture of sweet words and stern warnings, that while she could come to Longcheng, she absolutely must not display any signs of intimacy towards him.
Otherwise, their relationship might well come to an end.
Alisa heard this and felt deeply wronged.
"Qin Chuan, in your heart, am I just a simple bed partner? Is the only connection between us confined to the bedroom?"
Qin Chuan immediately denied it, "Alisa, what you're saying is really hurting our feelings!"
"You are my closest business partner, my career cannot do without you. In my heart, your importance is immense."
Alisa's voice was mournful, "Are we merely partners?"
Qin Chuan's head throbbed, but to appease Alisa, he continued with honeyed words:
"Our relationship is certainly far more than that. However, you should also be understanding. My girlfriend will also be coming this time. If she discovers our relationship, then we'll truly be finished."
Qin Chuan emphasized the word 'finished' heavily. Anyone with a modicum of emotional intelligence would understand.
A cold snort came from Alisa's side, followed by the sound of the call ending.
Qin Chuan rubbed his temples vigorously, finally realizing that being a scumbag was not something anyone could do easily.
In his previous life, he had been considered a charmer, navigating through a constellation of women. However, he had never truly fallen in love. Coupled with the advantage of wealth, his romantic pursuits had been relatively smooth.
Reborn in this life, Mr. Qin did not wish to retrace the steps of his past. Unexpectedly, while genuinely caring, being a scumbag proved incredibly difficult.
It was utterly exhausting and draining...